Bhubaneswar: The authorities of Jagannath temple at Odisha’s Puri town have served a showcause notice on senior Daitapati servitor Ramakrushna Dasmahapatra over his alleged statements regarding the construction of idols for a newly-built shrine at Digha in West Bengal.

The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) has asked Dasmahapatra to submit his reply within seven days.

If satisfactory explanation is not received within the specified period, Dasmahapatra will face disciplinary action as per Shree Jagannath Temple Act-1955, said the showcause notice.

The SJTA served the showcause notice on Dasmahapatra in the wake of media reports that surplus neem wood (sacred Daru) from Nabakalebar rituals at Puri Jagannath temple were used for construction of idols for the Digha shrine.

Dasmahapatra reportedly told some media channels in West Bengal that he had taken the surplus neem wood from the 2015 Nabakalebar rituals at Puri Jagannath temple to Digha for construction of idols.

However, Dasmahapatra, later, clarified that he had not said so to any media channel. "This is a false report. I have never told this to any news channel. My statements might have been morphed or intentionally edited. One thing, I told the media people that neem wood idols were consecrated at the newly-built temple at Digha," he said.

It was alleged that contradictory statements issued by Dasmahapatra have caused confusion among devotees of Lord Jagannath as well as tarnished the dignity of the 12th century shrine. 

Earlier, the state government had asked the SJTA to conduct a probe into the reports that surplus neem wood from Puri temple were taken to Digha for construction of idols for the newly-built shrine.